PURPOSE To evaluate the characteristics of the essential blepharospasm and hemifacial spasm patients and the feasible treatment with botulinum toxin A. METHODS Thirty-four essential blepharospasm or hemifacial spasm patients were evaluated according to gender, ocular complaint, time of disease, treatment outcome and complications. RESULTS Age median was 63 years and the mean was 61 years, w...

background considering the inadequacies of current therapeutic regimens for infantile spasms (is), and the frequent and serious side effects of  some regimens, the ongoing search for more enhanced protocols is understandable. materials and methods: we have compared the therapeutic and adverse effects of vitamin b6 given in high doses with those of prednisolone in a randomized controlled clinica...

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study is to determine whether lipoprotein(a) (Lp[a]) is an independent risk factor for coronary spasm and occurrence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in patients with coronary spasm. BACKGROUND Although elevated serum Lp(a) levels are known to be associated with coronary atherosclerosis and AMI, the association between the elevated level of this lipoprotein ...

In this study we attempted to determine if the cold pressor test, a known sympathetic reflexogenic stimulus, could precipitate coronary artery spasm. Thirty-five patients undergoing coronary arteriography for evaluation of chest pain syndromes were given the cold pressor test. During 1 minute of cold pressor stimulation, aortic systolic pressure increased 18.1 ± 9.7 mm Hg (mean ± SD) and heart ...

BACKGROUND Coronary spasm plays an important role in the pathogenesis of ischemic heart disease. However, similarities and differences between coronary spasm and atherosclerosis are not known. We examined the angiographic characteristics of coronary spasm in comparison with those of atherosclerosis. METHODS AND RESULTS Thirty-two left anterior descending arteries, 11 left circumflex arteries,...

This syndrome is due to focal spasm of an epicardial coronary artery, leading to severe myocardial ischemia. Although it is frequently thought that the spasm occurs in arteries without stenosis, many Prinzmetal patients have spasm adjacent to atheromatous plaques. The exact cause of the spasm has not been well defined, but it may be related to the hypercontractility of the vascular smooth muscl...

BACKGROUND Convergence spasm refers to transient ocular convergence, miosis and accommodation associated with disconjugate gaze mimicking abducens palsy. While it may be a manifestation of brainstem pathology, this sign is often associated with conversion (somatisation) disorders and, if unrecognised as a sign of a psychogenic disorder, it may lead to unnecessary and occasionally invasive evalu...

Mechanisms underlying coronary spasm are still poorly understood. The aim of the study was to assess the hypothesis that fluctuations in the development of coronary spasm might reflect inputs from the adjacent esophageal system. We enrolled patients admitted to the coronary care unit for episodes of nocturnal angina. Seven patients with variant angina and five with coronary artery disease (CAD)...

The intimate anatomical relationship of the facial nerve to the parotid parenchyma has a significant influence on the presenting signs and symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of parotid neoplasms. However, to our knowledge, hyperactivity of this nerve, presenting as facial spasm, has never been described as the presenting sign or symptom of a parotid malignancy. We report a case of carcinoma aris...

INTRODUCTION Cardiac arrhythmia is sometimes life-threatening, and automated external defibrillators are presently used in some countries. Coronary artery spasm is one of the primary causes of life-threatening arrhythmia. In general, chest symptoms are key indicators of possible coronary artery spasm; however, if chest symptoms are not present, clinicians may not suspect this disease. We encoun...